What are the big 3 camera brands?

The big 3 camera brands are Canon, Nikon, and Sony — three manufacturers that have dominated the interchangeable-lens camera market for decades and collectively account for the majority of DSLR and mirrorless camera sales worldwide.

Canon and Nikon built their reputations on film SLRs before transitioning to digital, giving both brands decades of lens ecosystem development and professional credibility. Sony entered the serious camera market later but pushed full-frame mirrorless technology hard enough to claim a leading share of the mirrorless segment. All three brands span entry-level to professional-grade bodies, with extensive first-party and third-party lens ecosystems built around their mounts.

• Canon's primary mirrorless mount is the RF mount, introduced in 2018 for full-frame bodies.
• Nikon's current mirrorless system uses the Z mount, launched in 2018 alongside the Z6 and Z7.
• Sony's Alpha E-mount mirrorless lineup, active since 2010, is the most mature of the three systems.
• All three brands offer APS-C and full-frame sensor options across their current mirrorless lineups.